Pride and Prejudice
by ryuzaki-will-live-on
Summary: It all started with a Regency Era Pride and Prejudice cosplay with Haruhi as Lizzy and Kyoya as Mr. Darcy. Will their cosplays parallel the classic love story? Sorry that the summary sucks. Kyoya/Haruhi Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, nor do I own Pride and Prejudice. All characters and titles belong to the respective authors. **

**A/N: I got this idea awhile back, and wrote it out during my Creative Writing class... it's been sitting in my notebook for a month, and finally got around to typing it out. This is my first Ouran fanfiction, so I hope you like it. Sorry if this story is kinda uneventful - it is basically setting the stage for the story. **

**Also, I want to apologize to all of the wonderful people who follow my stories... I haven't had a ton of time to write lately. A lot of drama has been consuming my life, and exams are coming up in three weeks. I promise to all of you that after I get out of school for the summer, I'll work and finish the stories that I are still in limbo. None of my stories are dying, I promise. Just please be a little patient with me; I'm only one person, and can only handle so many deadlines and tasks at a time. Thank you! I love you all! **

"You've got to be kidding me, Tamaki-senpai, I won't wear this."

"Oh, don't be cruel, Haruhi; Daddy wants to see you in that dress; you'll be so cute!"

"Forget it, Senpai, I'm not coming out in this ridiculous get-up."

A pout formed on Tamaki's lips; his daughter was always so rebellious… What was a father do? "Mommy, make our daughter come out; Daddy wants to see how she looks!" Tamaki whined.

Kyoya looked at Tamaki from his comfortable chair where he was entering in the previous day's profits on his laptop. Finally, he sighed, getting up and moving closer to where the host king was positioned.

"Very well, Tamaki," he said softly, "however, make yourself scarce. Your presence will not help your cause." When Tamaki only looked at him with dejected eyes, Kyoya prompted him again. "Go make sure the twins are not causing trouble again, or go make sure your stuffed bear hasn't been vandalized or something." The host king blinked, slithering away to perform the requested tasks from his vice president.

When Kyoya was sure that the blonde had wandered far enough out of ear-shot, he turned his attention to Haruhi and the situation at hand. "Haruhi…," he broached, "you don't really have a choice in the matter."

"Kyoya-senpai, I don't feel comfortable in this cosplay; can't I wear the men's costume instead? Why do I have to wear the dress?"

Kyoya _almost_ felt the _slightest_ impulse to chuckle. "Absolutely not, Haruhi, you must wear this costume. I'm sure I don't have to remind you of your current financial situation that you are in with the Host Club. Besides, there has been a large request to see you in crossplay; this is an excellent opportunity to increase e the profit of club activities.

Haruhi instantly scowled in Kyoya's direction, muttering, "Stupid rich people."

"What was that, Haruhi?" the shadow king asked, bemused with the muttering that Haruhi probably thought nobody could hear. "Now, come out of the changing room; the guests will begin to arrive soon."

Scowling once again, Haruhi reached timidly toward the door handle, cautiously pushing it open. To her surprise, there was nobody standing directly next to the door. It made absolutely no sense, since Kyoya had been there only a moment before; however, he was now back in his usual chair, typing God-knows-what into his laptop.

Haruhi was also surprised to find that Kyoya was the only other host in the music room. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, "Kyoya-senpai, why– "

"Oh, Haruhi, excellent timing. Would you mind preparing the tea? The guests should be here in just a few minutes." Haruhi frowned, loathing the way these rich people acted sometimes. Deciding that there was no point in arguing with Kyoya since everyone who tried always lost, Haruhi turned away, heading toward the tea station. "Oh, and Haruhi?" The girl turned toward the shadow king, her eyes expectant. "You do look nice in that dress." The smile on his face then bowed to his laptop again.

Haruhi rolled her eyes and smiled, "Thanks, Senpai." With that, she turned and made her way to the tea station to make preparations for the guests. It was funny to Haruhi, how odd Kyoya acted sometimes. He always put up that cold, greedy exterior, claiming to never do anything unless there was either money or merit to gain from it. However, Haruhi knew otherwise. There was a warmer, gentler man behind the mask, just waiting to be discovered. Unfortunately, the shadow king worked so hard to conceal that part of him; it was a shame, really.

As far as Kyoya was concerned, Haruhi Fujioka was the only person who saw through his well-developed façade. He didn't know if he should appreciate that, or be frustrated with the fact that someone had slipped through the cracks. Kyoya was unsure of whether he should try to allow the one person perceptive enough to recognize that part of him the opportunity to see more of that side of him, or whether he should put even more effort into reinforcing that cold exterior.

The whole concept was intriguing to Kyoya, but he pushed those thoughts out of his mind; he needed to get into "good-host" mindset. The Otohori son allowed himself one last glance to the peculiar girl before inclining his head in the direction of the music room door as it swung open, exposing the other hosts returning from God only knows where.

Tamaki was yelling at the twins, who held his precious evil-eyed bear. Hunny ran past them, his pink companion flailing in his arms as he ran toward the cake table. More, of course, watched the entire display with seemingly uninterested eyes. Suddenly, however, the racket died, as eyes turned one by one toward the girl in the dress. Kyoya once again found himself dragging his eyes to the girl finishing preparing the tea.

"Haru-chan, you look so cute!" Hunny exclaimed, a smile widening across his features while he clutched Usa-chan closer to himself. Mori nodded silently behind the other third year, blinking once.

The host king, however, could not subside with simply nodding or even rattling off some other compliment. "My daughter," he breathed, bringing his hand to his chest dramatically. "My daughter is too adorable!" There was a blur of blonde hair as Tamaki rushed across the room, grabbing Haruhi's hands, then pulling her into a lung-crushing hug.

Hikaru and Kaoru jumped to her rescue immediately; they were across the room as quickly as Tamaki had flashed across it. Within seconds, they were pulling at Tamaki's limbs, trying to free the maiden. "You're such a pervert Milord! Let Haruhi go; she doesn't like you like that, you pervert!"

"I'm not a pervert!" the host king exploded, "I'm her father! I need to tell her how adorable she is, so my lovely daughter doesn't become depressed and do something irresponsible like run away from home and join the circus…" he rambled on, explaining how tragic life would be for Haruhi in the circus.

Fortunately, during his spiel, he had let go of Haruhi, too lost in his own theatre of his mind. The girl had seized the opportunity to start inching her way away. Unfortunately, Tamaki's hallucination had to end eventually. "No! I must protect my daughter's self esteem, and therefore, her life!" He threw his arms back around Haruhi, crushing her once again.

Kyoya was watching quietly from his chair, analyzing the situation. This sort of thing wasn't all that uncommon around here; Haruhi really did get fawned over quite regularly. However, he was taken back at what happened next. Haruhi was facing him, Tamaki's back to the Otohori son. The girl reached her arm out, in Kyoya's direction, and Kyoya –though he couldn't hear, due to the noise in the room –swore he saw her lips form the name "Kyo…ya…" despite her struggle to breathe.

Kyoya's eyes immediately widened before coming back to the moment and situation at hand. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. "Enough." It was a single word; yet, it demanded all attention and the room fell silent, Tamaki removing his arms from Haruhi with a languid, melting motion. After the room had reached a dead-silence, and Haruhi had moved away from her harasser, the shadow king took another breath. "The guests will arrive soon; please compose yourselves with suitable behavior of the cosplays we will be wearing. The guests will be here soon; we need to change." Silence again met the Otohori son, but the hosts melted away, drifting toward the changing rooms to prepare for the upcoming guests. After the other s had left, Kyoya stood up and made his way to his own changing room to get ready as well.

This left Haruhi alone in Music Room 3, more than curious and confused about what had just happened. After giving it a few minutes of thought, she decided that she would save that pondering for home, when she'd get more than five minutes of quiet, thoughtful time. As if direct foreshadowing, the changing room doors began bursting open, exposing the other hosts in their cosplays.

Haruhi drew in the image with care and easy perception. Each of the hosts wore slight variations of a general style of suit. It was definitely old-fashioned, with the old-styled trousers, the puffed, white shirt, and the long coat-tails to tie it all together. Several of them wore top hats, but others ornamented the costume with nothing else.

Haruhi compared her costume to the others. She wore a simple, but elegant floor-length, straight dress. The short, puffed sleeves trailed to a conservative lace-traced necking to the dress, high enough to conceal her breasts, but low enough to tempt the over-active imaginations of the fangirl guests. From the bust, the dress fell elegantly to the floor, escorted by the matching white, elbow-length gloves, and white ballet flats. Her hair curled loosely as much as possible; it was amazing to think about what a professional stylist could do…

Seeing all of the costumes together, Haruhi could tell the costumes belonged to the same era; she just wasn't quite sure which once. The styles matched so well; it was impossible to think the costumes didn't go perfectly together. However, she just wished she hadn't had to wear the dress, as pretty as it was.

As if on cue, the door of the music room inched open, a timid head poking itself in. "Um… Haruhi, are you seeing guests yet, or am I early?"

"Huh?" Haruhi asked, turning around to face the first guest to arrive. After the question settled in her mind, a smile spread across her lips as she nodded. "Of course," Haruhi made her way over and took the girl by the arm, escorting her. "What would you like to do today?"

The guest pondered this for a moment, finally answering after her careful consideration, "How about we start off with some tea?"

"All right," Haruhi led her to a table, pulling her chair out for her.

"Oh, you look so good in crossplay, Haruhi!" the guest blushed. "What era are you cosplaying from? It must be ancient; nobody had dressed like that in ages!"

Haruhi smiled, "Thank you." The second part of her comment was a little more difficult to reply to. As subtly as possible, she glanced over at Kyoya, eyes pleading for his assistance.

Their eyes met for a second before Kyoya smiled and opened his mouth to speak. "We are actually cosplaying from the Regency Era, a time just before the Victorian Era in England. The style is most recognized in the well-known story _Pride and Prejudice_ by Ms. Jane Austen. There have been several movies made of the story as well." The Otohori son pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, taking a breath to continue, but was interrupted by Haruhi's guest.

"Oh! I've seen that movie! Mr. Darcy is my favorite! Oh! Haruhi must be cosplaying as Lizzy, or Jane I suppose, but surely it's Lizzy, considering how much he likes to read and study. But who is cosplaying Mr. Darcy? Every Lizzy needs a Darcy.

Kyoya cleared his throat, answering the girl, "That would be me, my lady."

"Kyyyaaa!" the guest squealed, "that is so cool!"

Haruhi shot Kyoya a curious glance before panning out to see the rest of the host club observing with wide eyes and gaping mouths. After just a second, her gaze returned to the guest she was supposed to be entertaining. With a smile she reached for the tea pot, "Would you like some tea, Miss?" The girl returned Haruhi's smile, delving into miniscule conversation.

With Haruhi's attention returned to the task at hand, the other hosts enclosed their circle, gathering to speak in hushed whispers. The twins spoke up first, "Uh… Milord, Haruhi didn't seem to know what _Pride and Prejudice_ was…"

Hunny interjected next, "I thought everyone had seen that movie, especially girls."

"Oh my God!" Tamaki dramatized in a whisper, "what if commoners can't afford to watch classic literature-based films! I cannot allow my daughter to –"

"Ah. Young ladies, welcome to the Host Club," the shadow king greeted with a smile. With the crowd that swarmed in, the topic was forgotten. Each host floated off with their guests, treating them to sweets and tea, pleasant conversation, and living up to their cosplays.

Haruhi sat with each of the ladies who requested her, almost enjoying the idle chit-chat, though the time really should have been being spent studying. Unfortunately, time was dragging by; it seemed as if it had been hours by time the Host Club was closing down at 4:30.

However, the time did eventually pass, and it came time for Haruhi to do her cleaning duties for the day. Earlier that day, Tamaki and both Hikaru and Kaoru had volunteered to stay after club activities and help her out. However, all three "coincidentally" had to bow out of that offer for one reason or another. Haruhi had given up trying to decipher the reasons they couldn't help. Mori and Hunny had martial arts training, so that left Haruhi. And Kyoya.

The shadow king typed away at his laptop while Haruhi removed tea cups from tables. She had long since changed out of her cosplay, seizing the opportunity as the last guest had left. Throughout her host activities and cleaning duties, however, her thoughts had remained in the conversation that was held earlier, despite the costume change. The first guest of the day kept mentioning that Mr. Darcy was absolutely wonderful, but she wouldn't say exactly why, just that he was amazing. Kyoya had said that he was cosplaying as him earlier… was Mr. Darcy like Kyoya? The curiosity had been nagging at her since the topic had been brought up.

Timidly, Haruhi glanced once again at the third Otohori son. Again, as if he knew she was looking at him, Kyoya glanced up at her, meeting her gaze. Just as suddenly, Haruhi lowered her eyes again, turning to take the last tea cup to the tea station.

With all of her tasks accomplished, she made her way toward the table that Kyoya was sitting at, seating herself across from him. After a few moments of nothing but the clicking of the laptop keyboard, Haruhi finally opened her mouth to speak. "Senpai? Can I ask you a question?"

Kyoya looked up from the computer screen, and to Haruhi's surprise, closed the laptop and gave her his full attention. "What can I do for you, Haruhi?"

"Earlier, you guys mentioned Mr. Darcy, that character from _Pride and Prejudice_… what's he like? What makes him so cool?"

Kyoya noticed the way Haruhi's eyes sparkled with curiosity, and he felt his lips twitch the slightest bit upward into a smile. "He's the everyday anti-hero turned hero by the force of love, plain and simple." Kyoya almost smirked when Haruhi's eyes reflected even more dark curiosity. Seeing that his explanation clearly didn't meet her expectations, he shook his head. "I'll tell you what, what if I had a copy of ht movies and novel sent to you? You can get your own…take… on Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy."

Haruhi's eyes turned from curious to searching and skeptical. "Movies? As in, more than one? I think I'll pass Senpai; I don't need more stuff added to my debt. Thanks anyway, Senpai."

"I'll have them sent over tomorrow, free of charge. It's on me this time." Kyoya half smirked, half smiled at the skeptical girl before him. "Does that sound all right?"

Haruhi cocked her head to the side, trying to judge whether or not he was being sincere or not. After a few moments of studying his features, she concluded with a smile that he was being sincere in his offer. "Sure, thanks Kyoya-senpai." Haruhi turned to leave, having finished all of her duties for club activities for the day.

"Haruhi?" Kyoya asked, causing the girl to turn once more to the shadow king. "Would you like a ride home? The news said it was supposed to rain today." Again, her eyes turned critical and skeptical. "Free of charge, I promise," Kyoya prompted with a small smile, guessing Haruhi's thoughts.

After a few moments of careful deliberation and finally glancing outside to take notice of the weather, she gave in. "Thank you, Kyoya-senpai, I'd appreciate that."

"You're welcome, Haruhi," the shadow king reassured her with a shadowed smile.

**A/N : Tada! chapter one of my first host club fanfiction is finally complete! What do you think? I know it's kind of uneventful, but the story should pick up soon, I promise. Please review and let me know what you thought! Until next time, xoxo. -Rhea**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club or Pride and Prejudice.**

Sure enough, Kyoya held true to his word. When she woke up in the morning, there were three different film renditions of _Pride and Prejudice_ as well as the novel sitting on her doorstep. Attached on top of the bundle was even a little note, written in Kyoya's perfect penmanship. _As promised— Otohori Kyoya. _

Completely bewildered, Haruhi picked up the gift and brought it inside, sitting at the table to further examine Kyoya's kindness. Her fingers ran delicately over the movie collection before picking up the novel and flipping through it briefly. She had to leave for school soon; yet, she was curious as to what—or rather, who—had all the girls fawning yesterday. Haruhi debated in her mind for just a moment before placing the novel in her bag for school.

After making a quick bento, Haruhi called a "goodbye" to her father before grabbing her bag and heading off to Ouran Academy for another day of classes. When lunch finally rolled around, instead of heading to the cafeteria, Haruhi made her way to Music Room 3, hoping to find it quiet for just a moment. She had wanted to start _Pride and Prejudice _all morning; however, she was scared to read it during class, even if they weren't doing anything—fearful that her sensei would confiscate the novel. Then she'd have to explain that to Kyoya-senpai… which didn't sound too pleasant, especially since he had been generous enough to give her the novel without charge—something that still perplexed her.

Much to Haruhi's surprise and delight, the music room was empty. With a soft sigh of relief, she grabbed _Pride and Prejudice_ from her bag and sat down on the comfortable couch currently sitting in the center of the room, forgetting her bento for the moment. With a soft, curious smile, Haruhi opened the novel and began to read.

She found herself quickly lost in the world that Ms. Austen had created and sculpted to perfection. Haruhi even smiled when she found out that the renowned Mr. Darcy would be formally introduced in the first few chapters. However, when he finally made her appearance, she was immediately disappointed. She even allowed her mouth to gape open in shock_. This_ was the man who every guest the previous day was next-to in love with? This rude, arrogant, proud, rich guy?

Her indignation lasted for several moments before another thought struck her. This insufferable man, Mr. Darcy, was like Kyoya-senpai? No—she couldn't see it. Kyoya at least has a shred of humanity inside of him, even though he tries to keep it hidden more-often-than-not. Mr. Darcy, however, was nothing but an arrogant rich man, set on thinking of himself as better than everyone else.

Haruhi compared and contrasted the shadow king with Mr. Darcy for a few more minutes before her silence was interrupted by an intruder. "I thought I would find you here, Haruhi," the Host Club vice president smirked. "What do you think of the famous Mr. Darcy?"

Haruhi placed a bookmark in the novel to save her page before closing the book and setting it beside her on the couch. Her eyes rose to meet Kyoya's amused gaze from where he stood just inside the—now closed—music room door. "I don't see why everyone loves him; he's nothing more than another rich aristocrat, too proud to admit his own faults."

Kyoya chucked quietly to himself before moving further into the room, finally sitting on the other end of the couch, turning to face Haruhi. "That is a bit harsh, don't you think? How far are you into the novel?"

"No, that is not too harsh; the man is rude! And I'm only five chapters in…"

"Ah. I see. After you finish the novel, let me know your impression of him then. You may view him in a much different light."

Haruhi scoffed, "I doubt it, but all right, Senpai." He seemed amused by her response, and the air fell silent between them for a moment before a thought occurred to Haruhi. "Hey, Senpai? What are you doing here anyway?"

Kyoya adjusted his glasses before smirking in her direction. "After Hikaru and Kaoru reported to Tamaki that they couldn't find you in the cafeteria, Tamaki was flailing about, turning over _everything_ in the room to find you, because surely, you were hiding under the formal dining tables. I figured that you had retreated to a quiet place in attempt to read, and assumed that you'd come here, since you're most comfortable with this room. So I told him I'd check some of the classrooms to see if I could find you."

Haruhi face-palmed before rolling her eyes. Tamaki-senpai really could be an idiot sometimes. "Is he still looking for me?"

"Not just him, Haruhi. The twins are also racing around, as well as half the female student body. To them, you are MIA. Tamaki has even fabricated his idea of how you were kidnapped by pirates and could be on a ship in the Mediterranean in a raging thunderstorm." He sighed, pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose.

Haruhi groaned. Tamaki-senpai could _really_ be an idiot sometimes. "Ugh. When he finds out that I am still in the school…" she shuddered at the imagined feel of his bone-crushing hug as he shouted about how worried he was. Almost on cue, Haruhi and Kyoya turned toward the music room door at the sound of Tamaki rampaging down the hallway in their direction.

Kyoya was the first to recover from the shock—mainly because his outbursts were no longer a shock; they were expected. "Haruhi, hide behind the couch," he mandated.

"Huh?" she asked, confused.

Not having time to explain, Kyoya picked her up, lifting her up over the couch, and setting her back down behind it. "Now get down, out of sight." Deciding that it was probably best not to question the shadow king at the moment, Haruhi ducked behind the couch. Just as quickly, Kyoya was across the room, lifting up a tea cup, knowing that in three…two…one…

"KYOYA! HAVE YOU FOUND HARUHI YET? MY POOR DAUGHTER; SHE'S SO SCARED RIGHT NOW, I CAN FEEL IT. DON'T WORRY, HARUHI, DADDY'S COMING!" he exclaimed, surprisingly all in one breath, as he flailed his arms by the door.

"No, Tamaki, I haven't found her. I've searched the entire music room; she's not in here. I was getting ready to go check the animal treatment center; Bossa Nova has been hanging out there a lot, and he has been visiting Haruhi frequently. Perhaps he knows something about her disappearance?" Kyoya offered slyly.

Kyoya could literally see the determination flare up in Tamaki's eyes as he pounded his fist into an empty palm. "Bossa Nova," he growled before continuing, "I should have known he wasn't as nice as we made him out to be; he's a villain! He kidnapped my poor Haruhi! I'll go check the treatment center! Good idea, Kyoya! We _must_ find her!" he shouted before racing back out of the music room.

"I'm right behind you," Kyoya called to the already gone Tamaki before walking slowly back to the door and shutting it before turning back to Haruhi. "It's all clear now, Haruhi."

The girl came around the couch, staring at Kyoya. "Senpai… do you think that was really a good idea? Now Bossa Nova is going to be drawn into this chaos too, and he's completely innocent too."

"It's all right; I'll take care of that later. I figured it would buy you the last fifteen minutes of lunch so you can read in peace," he explained.

"But what about when Tamaki sees me later at club activities? He'll be even more happy to see me alive; what about that, Senpai?"

"Leave it all to me; you just read your novel. I'm… curious… to know your final opinion on Mr. Darcy, and I can't know that until you've finished reading _Pride and Prejudice._"

Haruhi's eyes glinted with the new appreciation for the shadow king before her. She gave him a soft, genuine smile. "Thanks, Kyoya-senpai. But…" she started.

"Yes…?" a sly smirk answered in reply.

"Well, I was just curious, Senpai, why are you doing all of this for me?" Haruhi asked.

The Shadow King's glasses glinted in the light. "This could turn out to be very interesting, Haruhi. That is why I'm intervening." Kyoya gave her a cross between a smile and a smirk before slipping out the door, already knowing exactly what he'd tell Tamaki once lunch was over and Haruhi was surely back in the safety of her own classroom. Sure, she'd have to worry about Hikaru and Kaoru, but they wouldn't be _nearly_ as bad as Tamaki. Kyoya had no doubts that she would be able to handle the Hitachiin twins on her own.

When Kyoya had closed the door behind him, Haruhi allowed her eyes a moment to linger where he had been standing before drawing her novel back into her lap and opening it once more. One of Mr. Darcy's quotes from the text came back to her, striking her once more as rude_. "My good opinion once lost, is lost forever." _Yes. Haruhi was quite sure that her opinion of the renowned Mr. Darcy would never change either; however, hers was due not to disdainful arrogance, but to a level head and good judgment. With an subconscious nod, Haruhi lowered her eyes to the novel in her hands and began to read.

**A/N: Hey guys, so I'm sorry it took awhile to update this story-I was trying to finish up another one of mine... and I only had one chapter left for that one.. but then I decided that it could wait and I would update this one for all of you wonderful people who read this story. Also, I wanted to say thank you for the feedback you guys gave me; I wasn't sure if this story would end up being a complete flop or if people would actually buy into it. Anyway! I hope you enjoyed the new chapter; I will try to update it fairly soon! Which, speaking of updating-Sorry this is quite a bit shorter of a chapter than chapter 1... it just seemed like the right place to end it. I'll try to make chapter 3 a bit longer. =) Please review-I can't improve myself on something unless I know its wrong. Until next time- **

**On a side note... poor Bossa Nova. ~~ ^_^ ~~**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or Pride and Prejudice.**

**Chapter Three**

Haruhi kept her nose buried in _Pride and Prejudice_ for the rest of lunch; she had scarcely noticed the time passing, but realized all too quickly when the bell rang signaling the end of her free time. The honor student quickly packed up her belongings, including the untouched bento box she had brought for lunch; she'd be hungry later. After checking a second time to make sure she collected all of her things, she left the music room to head to her next class, going through the motions while her mind still lingered in Netherfield with Miss Austen's characters.

She had managed to get through several more chapters of the novel during lunch. There were moments when her eyes nearly shimmered in adoration of Mr. Bingley and his politeness, and moments when she was scowling ferociously at the text she held so delicately in her hands. The first of these moments was when Miss Bingley came to Mr. Darcy's side, claiming to know what he was thinking at the moment, and Mr. Darcy had the audacity to say that his mind was focused on the pair of "fine eyes" belonging to Lizzy. Haruhi practically fumed, angry with his hypocrisy and self-elevated superiority complex. "Stupid rich people," she mumbled almost inaudibly under her breath.

"Haruhi! Over here! We've been looking all over for you!"

With a sigh of frustration, Haruhi reluctantly pulled herself from her vexing reflections of Mr. Darcy; she would honestly _never _understand the women who poured adoration over that spiteful character. Having rid herself of all notions of a fictional world, Haruhi looked up to see who had called to her moments before when she had been lost in thought.

Before her, the hallway parted like the Red Sea, opening itself for the Hitachiin twins racing down the corridor at remarkable speeds. Haruhi inwardly gulped, fearing for any person who might wander into the hall unknowingly while carrying a large pile of books; they'd never stand a chance if they got into Hikaru and Kaoru's line of motion. Within seconds, the honor student felt two arms sling over her shoulders, one on each side of her. "Hey, Hikaru. Hey, Kaoru. What are you guys so worked up about? We saw each other less than an hour ago."

On her left side, Hikaru spoke up first. "Milord said that you were kidnapped by pirates…"

"…and we got worried," Kaoru finished on her right.

"I wasn't kidnapped by pirates or anything else ridiculous like that; I'm fine," Haruhi replied bluntly.

"Then where were you all of lunch?" Kaoru asked, arching an eyebrow.

Hikaru tagged on, "We always eat together." His eyes displayed curiosity, but his tone of voice bordered on hurt.

"I just had something I wanted to do, that's all. It's none of your guys' business anyway."

"But Haruhi—" they began together.

"Enough," she interrupted definitely, "we have to get to class; we don't have time for this." The twins looked a little hurt at her unwillingness to explain her absence during lunch, but their features were quickly masked with playful smiles.

"Okay, Haruhi, you're right; we don't want to be late for class," Kaoru nodded, forcefully ignoring his curiosity.

Hikaru looked shocked that Kaoru gave up on the interrogation, but if Kaoru wouldn't fight it, neither would he. "Yeah! I'll race you slow pokes there! One…two…three…GO!" With that, both twins laughed and took off down the hall, skillfully evading all disastrous collisions.

Haruhi sighed. She really did question her friends in the Host Club sometimes. With a well-deserved shake of her head, she treaded after the Hitachiin twins at her own pace, fully aware that she had already lost their race due to her few seconds of thought.

The rest of the day, surprisingly, was uneventful. Haruhi expected Tamaki to continue his tirade throughout the school, but it appeared as if he had ended his search for her. This caused a little confusion on Haruhi's part, but she shrugged it off, content to not worry about being thrown into a bone-crushing hug any second. Kyoya must have pulled off the miracle of subduing the frenzied host king. He had, after all, promised to take care of Tamaki, but Haruhi had obviously underestimated his ability. She would have to question and thank him later for his unanticipated continual assistance.

When Haruhi reported to Music Room 3 after school for club activities, she was surprised once more that Tamaki treated her as he always did—still with all the excitement his personality demanded, but no more than what she was normally subjected to. She must have _really_ underestimated Kyoya's power of control over the Host Club president.

Club activities ran smoothly, despite the earlier chaos of the day. Time droned on, and Haruhi was excited as she lifted her eyes from her guest to find that she only had fifteen more minutes of club activities. _All I'll have to do is finish cleaning up, and then I can go home and continue reading! It is a good thing I do not have much homework to finish tonight… _

As soon as the last guest left Music Room 3, the hosts cleared out quickly. Hunny mentioned helping his younger brother train while dragging a stoic Mori out the door behind him. The Hitachiin twins explained that they couldn't stay to help clean up—once again—because they were helping their mother decide which new dresses to bring with her to her upcoming photo shoot. Tamaki offered no noble excuse, only admitting that he was too tired: the numerous princesses he had attended to, in addition to his search for Haruhi earlier in the day had exhausted him. That left Haruhi and Kyoya—again.

"I see a pattern forming for cleaning duty after club activities," Haruhi sighed. It wasn't that she particularly disliked staying after to help clean the music room, she just wished she had a little help with it today. For the entirety of the day after lunch, the honor student had wanted to continue reading, but couldn't seize the opportunity. If she were the only one tidying up the room—again—it would be even longer before she could go home and reopen her novel. With another disheartened sigh, she began to pile tea cups on a tray to take back to the tea station.

Kyoya couldn't help but agree. It _was_ usually the two of them who remained after the rest of the hosts left—Haruhi to clean, and Kyoya to handle the club's funds. "Indeed, but it is probably best that way; the others would probably only get in the way."

Haruhi was taken back at his flat tone. Yes, it was not uncommon for Kyoya to sound rather blunt and indignant, but she sensed a tint of pent-up frustration in his voice that she had never heard before. "Senpai?" she tested softly, not wishing to upset him further if she had done something. When he did not reply, she tried again. "Is everything all right?"

It was here that Kyoya's brain started overexerting itself. What should he do? What had prompted Haruhi to ask that question? Had he not masked his exhaustion well enough, or was he incapable to concealing that emotion from the girl? He raised his eyes to meet hers from across the table. Her big, bright eyes contained a gleam of—concern? Kyoya was not accustomed to having that expression directed at him. He was given many other looks, but never concern. There was the high-expectation expression, the O-M-G-HE-JUST-SMILED-AT-ME-HE'S-SO-COOL- look, the I'm-scared-for-my-life visage, the yes-master expression, and many others… but _never_ concern.

He was the third Otohori son; he was not supposed to be given concern, was supposed to be given expectations. Yet, somehow, Haruhi defied fate, and expressed worry for him. She was kind enough to grace him with it, but how should he respond? Should he deny all his fatigue and annoyance to save face, or should he behonest? What did that word even mean, anyway? _Honest._ The shadow king had never been honest. Sure, he told the truth—bluntly, he might add—but was he ever honest? To his family? To his his friends? To himself? To Haruhi? No. Kyoya always—_always_—concealed the majority of his character away from others; that was not honesty; it was deceit.

"Kyoya-senpai?" The words broke the shadow king from his reverie. His eyes snapped back to Haruhi's. "Do you not feel well? Perhaps you should go home and rest; you can do your bookkeeping tomorrow, after you feel better."

Kyoya swallowed hard, "Thank you, Haruhi, but I am well, I assure you."

Haruhi blinked. If he wasn't sick, what was wrong with him? There was definitely _something_ that was bothering him. "Did something bad happen today? Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked, curious, but also wishing to be of some help to him, considering how nice Kyoya had been to her recently.

Was Kyoya's problem something Haruhi could help him with? He did not know. He did not even know what his problem was. There was a slight inkling of what was getting to him, but he could not prove, nor disprove it. He had never experienced anything remotely similar, so how was he to know?

With a relinquished sigh, Kyoya finally answered her. "I'm all right, Haruhi, just tired. Today has been exhausting. Thank you for your concern though," he recited politely, as he had been taught.

The honor student looked skeptical, but did not pester him. "If you say so, Senpai." She moved to finish taking the tea cups back to the tea station, letting her mind search for lighter conversation. "Senpai, how did you end up taking care of Tamaki-senpai earlier? He didn't overreact at all when he finally saw me. What did you tell him?" she inquired curiously.

The third Otohori son sighed again. "I told him that you went home to have lunch with your father; I figured he would be content with that answer, since he has his father complex with you. It took… awhile… to defend why you didn't rush to the cafeteria to eat with him—for he wanted to eat with his "daughter" too—but I think I eventually broke through a thin wall with the knowledge that you wanted to eat with your _real_ father."

Haruhi nodded. "That was a good alibi, Senpai. I couldn't think of an excuse when Hikaru and Kaoru asked where I was," she paused to insert a light giggle, "so I just denied them any information." She turned to smile at Kyoya, who surprisingly returned hers—though slightly smaller—she was content with herself for seeming to distract him from his earlier irritation.

Both were silent for a few moments, each relishing in their own inner thoughts. At length, Haruhi broke the silence. "Senpai," she began, "thanks for earlier. I mean, it was nice of you to help me find an opportunity to read, and to help cover for me."

Kyoya looked, and felt, shocked at the recognition, for he had not given helping Haruhi a second thought. He helped her earlier because she had been in need of assistance; it was the only logical action to make. It had never occurred to him, for once, to expect thanks or recognition for his actions. Kyoya had not acted with the hopes of being given anything in return; he only wished to assist Haruhi.

When the astonishment of her words left him, and logical thought was enabled again, Kyoya delivered a genuine smile. "Do not mention it, Haruhi. I'm glad I could help." The shadow king felt a flutter somewhere deep within his core—_was that… honesty?_ He had not concealed any hidden meaning in his word; they had been genuine. They came from… his heart?

Haruhi smiled once more at him before reaching for her backpack. "Okay, Senpai. I'm glad you helped too. You should head home and get some rest though, since you're so tired. I'll see you tomorrow, okay? Bye Kyoya-senpai." Haruhi waved before slipping out of Music Room 3, eager to return home to curl up and read.

"Goodbye—Haruhi." Kyoya looked stoically around the empty music room, deciding against staying to enter the day's statistics. He quickly packed his laptop, and then left the room, turning the lights off as he went.

"Dad, I'm home," Haruhi called as she walked into her kitchen. When she was given no reply, she ventured further into the house, trying to locate her father, who should have been home from work by then. Haruhi chuckled to herself as she came across him, asleep on their couch. "Goodnight, Dad," she whispered as she planted a soft kiss on his cheek, and pulled the throw-blanket up against his shoulders.

Haruhi made her way into her room, quickly changing into her pajamas. She tenderly pulled her copy of Pride and Prejudice from her backpack, and tucked herself under the covers, opening to where she left off. It was much later, in the early hours of the next day, when her eyes finally closed. Her eyelids drooped heavily, and she barely had the consciousness to replace her bookmark in the text. Exhaustion consumed her mind, and Haruhi smiled as the world of Netherfield descended upon her subconscious state—lulling her into a pleasant and charming dream.

**A/N: Okay-so I am VERY, MOST SINCERELY SORRY. I know it has taken me FOREVER to update this story, and you cannot begin to imagine how bad I feel! I had half of chapter three written for awhile after I finished chapter two... but then school started, and that brought calculus and marching band, and college, the school musical, and some anime conventions... and I was completely overwhelmed, and then I had writer's block... We had a day off today, and I took one look at my email and saw all of the reviews there... and told myself I wasn't allowed to leave my computer chair until I finished my chapter, and I asked a friend of mine to spam my email, deviant art, and facebook with messages telling me to stop procrastinating and finish this chapter. It worked. =) Again, I am sooooo sorry for not updating in forever; I am going to try to find the time to write more often, but I can make no promises, at least until Thanksgiving break. Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or subscribed to this story. You guys are the best! I hope you enjoyed this chapter-and please leave a comment, I'd love to hear what you think! xoxo**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or Pride and Prejudice. **

**A/N: Once again, I apologize for the very delayed update... school has been keeping me pretty busy. Plus, I just started another story, even though I told myself I shouldn't until I finish this one... but I never listen to my own advice... so this story was postponed a little. I'm sorry! You can flog me publicly~~I know I deserve it. I think this chapter is a little shorter, but I'm hoping that if chapters are a little bit shorter, I'll be more likely to update sooner. =) I hope you like it! **

**Chapter Four **

Never in her life had Haruhi invested any stock in the snooze button on her alarm clock. She had always been able to rouse herself from sleep when it went off the first time. Today, however, she had already hit the snooze button three times, and was still lying in bed. Haruhi attempted to lull herself back into a dead-sleep, but was unsuccessful, as the alarm rang once again. Frustrated, Haruhi sat up and violently reached for the source of her irritation. _Is it too much to ask for another hour of sleep! _A moment after Haruhi made contact with the alarm clock, it was flying toward the other end of her room, hitting the wall, and falling to the floor with a crash. _Finally—now if I just close my eyes…_

"HARUHI!" The girl scowled as she attempted to ignore her father's voice. "HARUHI, IS EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT?" His voice was louder, for he had rushed into her room upon hearing the crash of the alarm clock hitting the wall, and then the floor. Upon seeing his daughter still lying in bed, he lowered his voice. "Haruhi, Daddy's here; do you want to tell me what's wrong?"

Scowling once more, and forcing her eyes open, she turned to her father. "Nothing is wrong, Dad, I'm just really tired."

"So you thought throwing your alarm clock would solve that problem?" Ryoji questioned.

"I was trying to make the alarm stop…" Haruhi attempted, eager to finish the conversation so she could go back to sleep.

"Well, it doesn't matter anyway, because you still have to get up and go to school." Haruhi grumbled at this realization, but did not move from her position in bed. At this, Ryoji added, "Since you didn't get up when you were supposed to, you now have…" he glanced at his watch, "twenty minutes to get ready and get to school. You might want to get a move on."

This news brought Haruhi wide-eyed, as she jumped out of bed and ran to the bathroom to take the quickest shower of her life. She washed herself as quickly as she could, urging herself to ignore the cold water. The shower ended up taking no more than five minutes; however, that left her with only fifteen minutes to get dressed, pack a bento for lunch, grab something for breakfast, and get to her classroom. _I am never going to make it._

As Haruhi made her way quickly to her room to locate her uniform, a thought struck her. _Perhaps I can make it if I had a little help._ With that, Haruhi reached for the cell phone that the Hitachiin twins had given her. She fumbled with the phone as she dialed Kyoya's number and attempted to tug on her undergarments. _Ring. Ring._ _Come on… answer your phone, please! _Haruhi yanked her white button up shirt on and started to button it. _Ring. Rin— "This is Otohori Kyoya, how can I help you?"_

Haruhi almost cheered upon hearing his voice on the other end of the line. "Kyoya-senpai?"

The girl could have sworn she heard a slight gasp of surprise from the phone. "Haruhi? Why are you—I mean, is everything alright? Do you need something?"

"Actually, I have a huge favor to ask you. Could you please send a car to pick me up for school—I'll explain later, just… please?" With that, Haruhi ended the call, not having the time to feel guilty about hanging up on Kyoya.

She pulled a clean pair of black uniform pants from her drawer and jerked them on, hastily tucking in her white shirt. _13 minutes. _Haruhi grabbed her blue blazer, and rushed to the kitchen to pack a bento for lunch. She threw in a handful of leftovers before rushing back into her room to throw all of her school supplies into her book bag, only taking slightly more care to place _Pride and Prejudice_ at the top.

Haruhi returned to the kitchen to put her bento in her book bag, so she'd have less to carry, and less to forget. _Ten Minutes! Checklist: Book bag, check. Pride and Prejudice, check. Bento, check. Uniform, check—crap! Tie! _

Haruhi rushed once more back into her room in search for her tie. It was at this particular moment that she heard the car horn of the Otohori limo. _Thank you, Kyoya! _Haruhi found her tie and quickly tied it around her neck. _It will have to do._

The honor student ran back to the kitchen, grabbed her book bag and blazer, and then rushed out the door, slamming it shut behind her. She took the steps two at a time and practically dove into the already-open and waiting limo. Breathing hard as the limo driver shut the door behind her. Haruhi did not take in her surroundings; she only took the opportunity to breathe. She finally managed to calm herself down, but her stress level shot straight back up at the sound of a familiar voice.

"Good morning, Haruhi. Uh—would you like some help?" Bewildered at seeing Kyoya-senpai sitting next to her, Haruhi's eyes widened. After the initial shock left her, she questioned his words… help? He was already helping her. Her eyes must have conveyed confusion, for Kyoya spoke again. "Your uniform…" he chuckled quietly to himself, "is in a slight manner of disarray. Here, let me help."

Haruhi glanced down at her appearance: Her tie was not only crooked, but the front was shorter than the back. She had unknowingly buttoned her shirt incorrectly, causing it to lie unevenly. She did not have time to protest Kyoya's assistance before he was already gently undoing her tie and tugging it off. He glanced at the uneven shirt and turned away from her, "Haruhi, re-button your shirt, then I will tie your tie for you."

Haruhi shot him a questioning glance, but when Kyoya stayed facing the other direction, she moved to re-button her shirt. She took care to watch each button as she did it, to ensure she didn't do it incorrectly again. When she was finished, Haruhi cleared her throat, "Thanks, Senpai, I can tie my tie now."

Kyoya turned back toward her, not relinquishing his hold on the tie that Haruhi was attempting to pull from his grasp. "No, Haruhi, I'll get it. We don't need you to accidentally strangle yourself." Kyoya turned up Haruhi's collar, and then set to the task of tying her tie for her. When he was finished, he replaced her collar and sat back and relaxed in the seat.

Haruhi could feel her cheeks flush, but ignored it. "Thanks, Senpai. I mean, for the ride and then the tie…" The honor student struggled for her words, "It hasn't been the best morning… I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused."

Kyoya accepted her thanks with a smile. "You're welcome, Haruhi, and it wasn't any trouble at all."

Within moments, the Otohori limo pulled up to the school, and Haruhi gave both Kyoya and his driver another round of thanks, before rushing off to her first class. Thanks to Kyoya, she had plenty of time to get to class, but judging how the morning was going… she didn't want to risk it.

Kyoya watched Haruhi run off as he calmly collected his books from the limo and began to meander toward the school. _Hm. How interesting. She was obviously stressed out, and most likely running late, since she had not put her uniform on correctly. The most likely cause of her tardiness would be over-sleeping… but Ryoji said that Haruhi never sleeps in. Perhaps she didn't get enough sleep because she stayed up too late? But why…oh. Of course. _Kyoya smiled to himself as he recalled the novel Haruhi had been captivated by lately.

He recollected a conversation between Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley in regard to Darcy's change in opinion of Lizzy's _fine _eyes after she walked for miles in mud to tend to Jane while she was sick at Netherfield. "Not at all, they were brightened by the exercise," Kyoya quietly quoted to himself, picturing the disarrayed appearance of Haruhi in the limo this morning. With a Cheshire grin, Kyoya pulled open the door to the school and made his way to his first class. Today would be interesting, to say the least.

**A/N: Thank you for reading, and I really hope you enjoyed it. I know Kyoya is SLIGHTLY OC... but I'm trying to keep him in character with both himself and Mr. Darcy. The next chapter will be a continuation of this day-at school. Thank you to everyone who has reviewed/subscribed/favorited this story! You are awesome! =D Please take a second to review this chapter~~the reviews are honestly one of the biggest things that encourage me to update a story... because then I know people don't completely hate my work. Until next time~~ xo**


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